Op-Ed Sections, Threat or Menace?

As we're all aware, there's quite the kerfluffle at the Times over its publishing Sen. Tom Cotton's rather explicitly fascist call for the US military to occupy US cities. Today's highlight was a twitter comment from publisher Sulzberger praising the piece for accuracy followed by a news story pointing out much of it was inaccurate. But I digress. Were I a publisher (no thanks, I like my money), I'd certainly not allow elected officials free space to push their pet ideas in my paper. That would apply just as much to Barack Obama or Bernie Sanders as to Cotton. They have their platform, and we'll cover 'em in the news section, thanks.
But in general, I think op-ed sections are useless. Are there any op-ed columnists people here follow regularly? I have only two, both from the Post, Dan Drezner, whose insights on international politics are often new to me, and Alexandra Petri, because she's a satirist who's both hilarious and ferocious. Otherwise, even the ones I agree with, like Krugman, I don't read because I know what they're gonna say beforehand.
In short, as newsholes and rooms shrink, here's newspaper real estate that can be cut without a qualm.

 

posted this on the other thread:



terrible editorial judgment here by the Times.

You can't run this as a standalone on the Op Ed page. (I didn't see the print edition)

Opinion | Tom Cotton: Send In the Troops

You have to play it against a piece that says "No Military In American Streets Ever" and run them in the same box.

Senator’s ‘Send In the Troops’ Op-Ed in The Times Draws Online Ire

Even then, not on the anniversary of this.

Opinion | Tiananmen’s Other Children

what the fuck

 

Out here in Podunkville, our Opinion page only has local content — editorials, letters to the editor and guest ops from local readers/officials. No syndicated columns or wire.

As cringeworthy as it is to see Fox News and OAN propaganda regurgitated, our Opinion page content is well read, both in print and online. It gives our mostly older readership an outlet to vent and, in many cases, show their ass to thousands of subscribers. There's worse waste of space in our paper.

I'm guessing the NYT saw the Tom Cotton piece as a chance to be "balanced" on its opinion page. It certainly is generating a reaction. I guess as long as it's clear Cotton is writing an opinion piece, and it's his opinion and not the newspaper's, I'm OK with it.

You don't have to agree with it, and I'm guessing most NYT readers don't. It doesn't hurt to know what the other side is thinking.

 

I have no problem with a "balanced" opinion page - but the sad truth is most of the conservative pundits have consumed the Kool-Aid or left the reservation. You don't see much reasoned arguments on the Op-ed page as the links on Real Clear Politics indicate.

America Is Not Racist

Thomas Klingenstein & Ryan Williams, The American Mind
Killing of Blacks Is Part of the American System

Derrick Johnson, The Guardian
These Riots Have Set Our Black Community Back Decades

Pastor Corey Brooks, TAC
Another Long, Hot Summer in America

Ian Buruma, Project Syndicate
Riots Part of Agenda to Tear Down the Country

William Jacobson, Legal Insurrection
The Pandemic Is a Threat. The President Is Worse.

Gregg Gonsalves, The Nation
Trump Team Asks: Whatever Happened to Social Distancing?

Philip Wegmann, RCP
James Mattis Denounces President Trump

Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic
Trump's Law and Order Message Strikes a Chord

Scott Jennings, CNN
If This Is Like 1968, Then Trump Is in Big Trouble

Joshua Zeitz, Politico
Dems Headed for Defeat in 2020 Unless They Do 3 Things

Doug Schoen, FOX News
Church Leaders Have a Duty to Unite, Not Divide, Our Country

Brian Burch, RCP
Send In the Troops

Senator Tom Cotton, New York Times
NY Times Staffers in Open Revolt Over Cotton Op-Ed

Maxwell Tani, The Daily Beast
Covid vs. Climate Modeling: Cloudy With a Chance of Politics

Eric Felten, RCI
The NFL's Amnesia Is Just Like America's

Jemele Hill, The Atlantic
Drew Brees Said Nothing Wrong

Quin Hillyer, Washington Examiner

 

Real Clear Politics is an overtly right wing site and they cherry pick out of gazillions of op-ed pieces, not all of which are like that. Coco, letters to the editor and columns by local citizens are OK. Columns from local officials I do not favor. They are subjects of the news section just as Senators are, and their chances to explain themselves should come via questioning by reporters.

 

I realize that about RCP, I keep it marked for the polling numbers - I'm just amazed at the low (non?) reputation of the the publications and writers they link to these days for the Trumpist view.

 

NYT Newsroom Breaks Into Open Revolt After Paper Publishes Call for Military Crackdown

 

Of course, David Brooks.

 

NYT staffers are mad because they think it's the wrong opinion. (I think it is, too.) They'd gladly run something beneath sound practice if it conformed to their worldview. It'd be in pursuit of "a larger truth" or something.

 

I'm gonna give the Times a teeny bit of credit here. They have tried to bring in new op-ed columnists to supplement those who made their bones covering Bush 41 and Bill Clinton. It's better than cable news, where the same pundits never ever leave. My God, how old ARE Gloria Borger and David Gergen, anyway?

 

Op ed sections are OK because newspaper deadlines are such now there's no timely news in the fishwrap. The op eds usually are relevant a couple days at least. So it is one possible reason to actually buy a newspaper. It will usually be timely for a few days. The rest of the fishwrap is very old news. Features and opinion pieces are OK to fill.

 

If it is local and relevant to local issues and concerns, it has a place.

If it is all syndicated crap, it is a waste of space. Our local Gannetthouse site has gone from 2 op-ed pages every day and 3 on Sundays, with all local content, a highly-engaged readership that often submitted letters and guest columns, plus staffers who wrote editorials and op-ed pieces every day, to 1 op-ed page 3 days a week, all wire except for the rare, unscheduled local piece, as time and topics present itself.

I'd like to know the metrics for who reads the op-ed pages now - it has to be embarrassing.

It was funny to see the backlash when they cut down on the number of days the op-ed page ran. It was akin to screwing up the TV listings or cutting out a comic strip.